Weston College has joined forces with Heart of Worcestershire College to help the fight for more funding in further education (FE).

Due to the current climate in FE, considering the major changes in scrutiny and funding streams, Principals and Governors from both Colleges decided to meet to share and develop innovative and financially robust strategies to ensure long term sustainability. During the initial meeting the group also discussed how they can support the national ‘Love our Colleges’ campaign.

Love Our Colleges is making the case for extra government funding and fair pay in FE. It also highlights the great work that goes on in colleges, and the brilliant staff that make it all possible.

The campaign is supported by the Association of Colleges and a string of trade unions – as well as individual colleges, students and FE staff.

Dr Paul Phillips, CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said: “Our meeting with Heart of Worcestershire College’s Principal and Governors was extremely productive.

“The current funding situation is not sustainable, which is why this campaign is so important. It has gained wide-spread support and national attention through numerous events – but we mustn’t let the momentum slow. Colleges must continue working together and keep ‘knocking on the government’s door’.”

From 2009 to 2019, college funding has been cut by around 30%. This drop in funding has led to:

• Fewer hours of teaching and support for young people
• A reduction in the number of learning opportunities for adults
• The value of staff pay falling by over 25% since 2009
• College teachers earning £7,000 less on average than school teachers.

Stuart Laverick, Principal and Chief Executive of Heart of Worcestershire College, said: “Weston and Heart of Worcestershire have worked hard to invest in buildings and equipment to ensure students and staff have the modern resources needed to support high-quality learning.

“This has come at significant cost with the majority of the funding coming from college reserves that have now been significantly depleted. To maintain and develop the colleges’ estates in the next decade – and realise national productivity ambitions – there will have to more dedicated capital funding from government.”

Colleges are an essential part of England’s education system, educating and training 2.2 million people every year. They transform lives, enable people make the most of their talents and ambitions, and drive social mobility. Furthermore, colleges work closely with local and national businesses, helping them improve productivity and drive economic growth.

Collaboration between colleges is essential for recognising the importance and relevance of FE. The Love Our Colleges campaign helps to raise awareness of the current demands and struggles within the sector, as well as focusing on what needs to be done to allow colleges to continue to grow and provide countless benefits to their communities.

Dr Paul Phillips, CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group with Stuart Laverick, Principal and Chief Executive of Heart of Worcestershire College.

Governors from Weston College and Heart of Worcestershire College working together.

Career opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) have grown significantly in recent years. We recently had the opportunity to talk with Weston College governor, Mr Chris Carter, who recently attended ‘The Big Bang’ interactive STEM fair at the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare. As part of Love Our Colleges week we asked Mr Carter how the College is inspiring future generations and how it has responded to industry demands within STEM sectors.

What did you think of The Big Bang fair? Do you think it inspired young people to consider STEM careers?

I thought The Big Bang was an excellent example of showing students of various ages and skills just how wide and interesting the field of STEM education actually is. The name STEM stands for science, engineering, technology and mathematics, all of which were represented under one roof in an enthusiastic and obviously, judging by the reactions I saw, intensely interesting way. The variety of opportunities Weston College offered for the students to get ‘hands on’ was impressive and the Winter Gardens lent itself admirably to the event. I would be very surprised if this event did not inspire a significant number of potential careers.

Why do you think a career in STEM would be exciting to pursue?

The question should be why would it NOT be exciting?! The fields covered by STEM are representative of so many of the developing and necessary aspects of modern life. They can provide opportunities to build careers in vital and interesting areas ranging from engineering to life sciences via astronomy, soil science, aeronautics and marine engineering communications. These and countless other directions are examples where the core subjects can be expanded and developed as varied career paths open up.

The College also offers workshops for primary school classes. Why do you think this is important?

I have always believed that the earlier you start in education, the better chance young pupils have at gaining a balanced but gentle introduction to a wide variety of life skills as part of their development. If an interest is born at an early stage then there is so much more opportunity, either to nurture it further as the child’s education progresses, or just to include it in that child’s general educational skill set.

What makes Weston College stand out when it comes to providing STEM education?

Firstly, I would say the superb facilities offered across the various College campus sites and the dedicated and expert tuition from the highly skilled and motivated College staff. What also makes the College stand out is the much-prized ‘student experience’, which I think is second to none alongside the care and dedication to the learners which is the core of Weston College’s offer. Overall, it is simply a combination of all of these which apply not only to the teaching of STEM subjects but across the whole range of courses. We, as Governors, are extremely proud of the superb success rates for which Weston College is renowned but equally of the personal achievements of our learners on their journey.

Why do you think STEM has become such a large focus in the South West?

You only have to look at the type of employment opportunities in the South West to see why STEM has such a large part to play. The core STEM subjects touch on all of our lives, and on a daily basis. We use telephones, we drive cars and we eat the produce from our farms. All of these aspects are equipped with the products of technology which are powered by the energy produced by the ‘appliance of science’.

What are the long-term benefits to investing in STEM?

We are faced with global warming and an ever-increasing population. It does not take a genius to see that we need to sustain the development of all aspects of STEM education to meet the challenges of the future. Investment in further education is one of the best investments any Government can make. That’s why we all need to get behind the Association of Colleges campaign. ‘Love our Colleges’ sees FE providers working collaboratively to raise awareness and strive for a better future. Without the appropriate funding, the development and investment required to adapt to the needs of each industry cannot happen. This is essential in today’s world of work and just one of the reasons why the government need to invest in the next generation.

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